Reddit reviews CookinPellets 40H Hickory Smoking Pellets

I haven't used Traeger pellets in a long time. I have been using Cookinpellets for a few months now and I've been really happy with them. Walmart in my area also has a 20lb bag of Pit boss pellets for like 8 bucks.

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Here is a post that I came across a while back about Traeger pellets. I have no idea how true it is, but something to keep in mind when choosing pellets

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TLDR: guy claiming to hear straight from a Traeger rep that most of their pellets are oak/alder filler with flavored oils

If you are gonna spend as much money on Pellets as the Traeger brand costs, then I suggest go to Amazon for some CookinPellets, they have either the Perfect Mix, or Hickory

Those are twice the size bags of Traeger, so keep that in mind when comparing price.

I use the perfect mix when I'm smoking stuff. If I am just using the Traeger for heat, for example when I have ribs wrapped in foil or I'm grilling burgers, I use cheap stuff that I get at Cash and Carry. They are $6.99 a bag and basically the same as Traeger, which is Alder wood mixed with a little flavor wood.

My disdain for pellet smokers is probably no secret, but being that this was a gift, I'll tell you what I've learned from them. Don't sell a gift, especially from your father in law. That's a dick move.

1. You're going to end up with a shitload of pellets from a shitload of different manufacturers. Start here. Maybe here too.
   
   
2. You're probably going to want one of these, too, because they don't put out a ton of smoke to begin with.
   
   
3. There's a little button on it that you can use to adjust the auger speed. That'll add more/less pellets per temperature setting. You'll probably have to adjust that based on ambient temperature, because if it goes too fast, it'll clog up and stop burning. That little button is, in my opinion, stupidly hidden, and should be a knob right on the front of the control panel.
   
   
4. Depending on the model, you can seal the chamber a LOT better than it comes from the factory to keep more smoke in and on the food. For the first round, feel free to shove foil in. Long-term, use the same gasket strips that you'd use on a BGE, like this.
   
   
5. WARNING: This one can cause a fire. Again, depending on which model, you can restrict the airflow from the smoke stack. This may or may not cause the heat to flow back up through the auger, and result in a very, very unfortunate mishap. If you decide to try this one, be very, very careful. I'd advise against it, but hey, this is NEWFREELAND.
   
   
6. People will tell you to put it on "smoke" before cooking. This is a bad idea. You probably won't get food poisoning from doing this until you're really, really comfortable with that process. If you're doing something that has nitrates in it, by all means, go for it. Otherwise, fucking yikes.
   
   There are a ton of other things you can try, but these will definitely get you started.
   
   

If I recall correctly, I used CookinPellets Perfect Mix in the hopper and CookinPellets Hickory in an A-MAZE-N tube to add more smoke.

Thanks. For the last 10mo I have been using the Rec Tec Ultimate Blend or I use the CookinPellets in Hickory

Thanks for the link. I checked it out and it says "Bear Mountain American Hickory BBQ Pellets are made with 100% hickory wood and a base wood of Pacific Northwest alder ". Isnt alder considered a filler? I would say high quality pellets use 100% hickory and thats it?

What I was attempting to ask in my original ntoe was, can you use something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HEYVS2O that is 100% hickory for the first 3 hours and use something like the Bear Mountain that are good, but do contain fillers like alder?